


Immediate Risks

by telperion_15



Category: Primeval
Genre: Angst, Apocalypse, Depressing, Future Fic, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-03
Updated: 2012-02-03
Packaged: 2017-10-30 13:40:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/332335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/telperion_15/pseuds/telperion_15
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the anomalies cause chaos, Nick reflects on events.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Immediate Risks

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for episodes 1.01 and 1.06.

_“Suppose this remarkable theory’s correct, what are the immediate risks?”_

_“Famine, war, pestilence. The end of the world as we know it. You know, the usual stuff.”_

_“I think I could do without the facetiousness.”_

It was funny, Nick mused, to think back to that day, so long ago, when everything had seemed so new and exciting.

Lester had been right – he had been being facetious. But he was annoyed by the restrictions and obstacles being placed in his path, and not especially willing to compromise with a ‘civil service pen-pusher’, as he had called Lester in the midst of his irritation.

Oh, the irony. Because, while Lester had been right at the time, Nick had been right in the long run.

They hadn’t quite reached the end of the world yet, but the situation looked to be heading that way. The anomalies had spread throughout the world, leaving chaos in their wake. Long-extinct species of mammals, reptiles and insects had reappeared to decimate crops and other food sources. Armed conflicts had broken out between countries trying, and failing, to lay claim to the anomalies. And diseases long-since thought cured had returned to cause untold suffering to the human race.

And right in the middle of it all was Nick Cutter and his small team, still trying to understand what was going on and stop it before it was too late.

And yet, despite the fact that the Earth was descending into chaos around him, it was the little things that hit home the hardest, the effects events had had on himself and his team-mates that he dwelt on the most.

Stephen, who had hurt him so deeply that for months they had barely spoken. Now they were communicating again – they had to be, given the situation – but their relationship was professional at best, coldly courteous at worst. Nick missed his friendship with the other man, but he couldn’t forgive, and he certainly couldn’t forget. And now he wondered how long it would be before Stephen decided he had had enough and left for good.

Claudia, who had made him feel again after grieving for eight years. Retrieving her from the time paradox he had landed her in had taken some effort, but they had managed it in the end, and having her back had finally given him some measure of peace. But it was not to be. Six months later she had finally, despite Lester’s objections, been given a promotion. She still worked on the anomaly project, but as a senior member of the Home Office she rarely worked in the field, and Nick didn’t see her much any more. And so something potentially wonderful had been nipped in the bud before it had even really begun.

Abby, who had started off so full of enthusiasm and idealism, and who was now struggling to maintain her equilibrium in the face of so much death and destruction. She wanted to protect everyone and everything she cared about, and the stress of trying so hard was taking its toll. Gone were the bright smiles and limitless energy. For her it had become a nightmare that she couldn’t wake from.

And Connor… It was hard to think of Connor. He had been a brilliant and good-natured, if somewhat annoying, young man. And he had been an asset to the team, although Nick hadn’t realised it properly until afterwards. But now he was gone, lost in a stupid accident that could have been avoided, but which nobody had prevented. Lester always said that some casualties were acceptable, but to Nick this one wasn’t, and never would be.

Only one person was still the same, and that was Helen. On the demise of his relationship with Claudia, Nick had wondered if going back to his wife might not be the best course of action after all. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Helen had changed for the worse on that day when she left him, all those years ago, but she would never now change again for the better. She still flitted in and out of his life, giving him just enough help to be useful, but never enough to really make a difference. She was a hard, selfish woman, and Nick now had trouble believing she had ever loved him.

Nick hoped there would be a solution soon, for the sake of the world and for the sake of his sanity. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could watch his world fall apart. Slowly but surely he was losing everything he held dear, the facets of his existence shattering as the anomalies shattered the rules of time and space.

_“Suppose this remarkable theory’s correct, what are the immediate risks?”_

_“Famine, war, pestilence. The end of the world as we know it. You know, the usual stuff.”_

_“I think I could do without the facetiousness.”_

As the words replayed themselves over and over in his head, Nick shut his eyes and prayed that it would all end soon…


End file.
